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IMPORTANT: Regarding Light Novels and Web Novels

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This is something applicable to all web novel readers, so please don’t dismiss this just because you don’t read Slime Datta Ken.

In case for some reason you haven’t already seen it on reddit, or the MoonbunnyCafe that is much more popular than my own blog, basically an annoying misunderstanding is causing my good friend Ran is snap. He usually has a very mild personality, but I suppose the repeated annoyance is grinding down on him.

I sincerely hope you guys can all see what the problem is here. Please have a look at his message here. I think it’s highly relevant.

Anyway, as for my opinion, please don’t mix up light novels and web novels. Web novels are great fun, and they have the benefit of not being influenced by money-grubbing editors, but they can also be a huge steaming pile of shit. Sometimes rather creative shit that gets refined into uh… idunno, a paperweight of some sort? But still a pile of shit.

Please support people who translate the light novels. The pretty pictures that you love so much are from the light novels, and the light novels are generally just better overall. If somebody is translating the light novel because they’re interested in bringing it to the English-speaking world, please don’t say insensitive things about how XX is translating the “same thing”.

It’s really not. And this is especially the case for Slime Datta Ken light novels. The light novels balance out the time each character has in the spotlight, and brings a lot more Shizu-san.

79 thoughts on “IMPORTANT: Regarding Light Novels and Web Novels”

  3. Yep. I’m not sure why people don’t see that Light and Web novels are different. I left some words of encouragement for OvertheRainbow and hope they don’t get disheartened by the condescending leechers.

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  7. well, looking at bright side….
    people love Rimuru so much, they want more people joining the circus so you guys can translate faster :D

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    1. Even so, you don’t piss of the powers that be (translators). If you do, they may decide to stop translating the thing you don’t want them to translate… and not translate anything. Much better to follow something you may not be QUITE as interested in than nothing. They’re spending their valuable time. We aren’t. Makes sense that they get to decide what to translate.

      It’s like letting the person in the driver’s seat of a car decide which levers and buttons to press when.

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  10. While I understand the differences between each version and I personally wouldn’t complain about anything a translator is choosing to translate, I WOULD prefer that the do something completely different that isn’t being translated currently. While both versions are different it normally isn’t different enough that I care.

    Not that its any of my business though, I’m just glad that there are people translating at all, I’m not going to do anything that I think will make them stop.

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    1. ecojakk, the ones that are similar enough that you shouldn’t care generally aren’t being translated by anybody. The plots diverge entirely, so unless you’re the type who just reads to kill time, without investing in the characters or giving a shit about the ending (which changes completely for some series, between LN and WN) then I can only assume you’re ignorant on how different some of these novels can be.

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      1. Best example I can think of is in the Overlord web novel Albedo isn’t even a character and was introduced along with several other characters in the Light novel version(As far as I know I could be miss remembering even though I remember reading the first chapter of the web novel of overlord that someone had translated and she was no present)

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      2. ^Nyde: That’s correct, Albedo is LN exclusive character :v one of the translator of Vol 7 mentions that scenes you see Albedo do either doesn’t happen or was done by Shalltear instead.

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  11. Jeez, some people just can’t seem to put their heads on logic… Whew~!
    Can’t even realize why there are two terms instead of one, jeez. it’s already like common sense to know about it ~_~

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      1. lol no worries. You should have that post on notepad so you can cut and paste for the next few hundred times that situation is going to repeat.

        And to be honest, I almost did the same thing myself, but lucky for you I’m such a patient and understanding person, no? ;P

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      2. I find those people kinda hilarious, I mean why are they expecting a different answer? not only that, that question is pretty much plastered on every single translation site “hey why don’t you go translate this[random novel that was dropped] instead!”

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  14. … Why do people that don’t know how to read exist? I mean, i’m pretty sure to get to the “Leave a comment” or “Leave a reply” you had to scroll through the other comments… idiots them all…

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    1. Some people just skip over all the comments to get their “bright idea” out there. Who cares if someone else had it first >:(

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  15. Some people can’t read between the lines or the words right in front of them. Kinda sad at times at their misconceptions of things where they think everything they think is right and others are wrong. Est here is always right, (well maybe 99% of the time). Wish people were more open minded about things. Don’t get too down hearted about this. Some people can’t change and we just isolate them as is.

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  16. Maybe a translator should only connect to the internet to post the translations.
    I have yet to see ANYONE push a notification to their blogs because they read something in the comments that delighted them.

    It slowly starts to look like every translator puts their hands into the grinder (comment-section) and is baffled that they get hurt… (in the best case, nothing happens because the grinder is off (aka, the people posting “stupid” comment are not yet there))
    Not saying that translators are stupid for doing so, but the internet is simply full of people who don’t bother secondguessing whatever they post.

    What do you expect if you go into the comments section?

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    2. … I don’t know about your experiences, but usually when I read a recently posted chapter, the first… who knows how many… comments seem to be people who skipped the chapter to be the first to post “Thank you so much for the chappy” or “Thank you!” or “Love [insert character name here] so much!”. The next bundle are from people who read the chapter and say things like “Thank you so much for the chappy” or “Thank you!” or “Love [insert scene from chapter] so much!”. You may not know this, but people like being encouraged. Additionally, there are people who, upon receiving a gift like a translated chapter, thank the responsible parties.
      It SHOULD be an unfortunate exception that “thanks” that hard work by insulting the translators.

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  18. People like this will keep popping up everywhere. You can only have patience. Or do something like that idea you had when you wanted to make navigation on this site as hard as possible, and have everyone respond a quiz about the differences betwen LN and WB, etc.

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  19. Sadly people on the internet are ignorant of the difference.

    If the translators list the chapters only, it is safe to assume it is a web novel translation. They make it clear that it is a light novel translation when they divide up the chapters and include the volume number. Heck, translator always post what version they are translation before they post the chapters.

    The fools only care about chapters count. They don’t understand or want to understand that the web novel version is an unpolished gem, and the light novel version is the refine polish gem.

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  21. Must be some newbies in our world. . . . . may this be a real lesson to those guys. . . keep it up ani-chan!

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    1. It depends but without Albedo… I’m not sure I would’ve liked it as much. Have you watched the anime yet?

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      1. Yeah, they kind’ve made Albedo creepy though.

        *spoils below*

        Can’t wait till Ainz uses the sphere of time death thing against Shaltear.

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        1. I guess Albedo is a bit creepy. But that’s just how she was programed. She’s not to blame. And i feel that Ainz will take her anyway, because if guilt, after all he was the one who programed the “is deeply in love with Ainz.”

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          1. Yeah.

            I really hope there’s some progression on that front in the next volume! Not sure if it’ll get past awkward pleasantries between the two, though. Because of the Overlord race’s ability that suppresses any large amount of emotion.

            Well, I guess it’d be like doing it in sage mode?

            It’d be interesting if he learns some form of true alteration magic to switch between pure bones to having a body of flesh… the reactions of the female guardians would be amusing.

            I love the overlord series so much ^^

            OP mc done right…!

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            1. I actually really want to see that scene! They haven’t really been getting anywhere with their feelings. Is it even possible for them to have a kid? Would he have to take out a rib like in Adam and Eve? Ahhh, race differences!

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    2. Not always…but as long as nothing major is changed then yes LN generally comes out better.

      Anime on the other hand…ugh…most anime has to focus on smaller cast of characters so POV shift is usually impossible and that kinda kill the side characters…
      (My personal choice: Suguha from SAO season 2, I once made a pretty long rant on it so I’ll stop before I repeat it again :x)

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  24. ‘. ‘ Fluffy, saw your comment about Isekai Mahou on Ran’s page and got curious. What changed between the two version?

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    1. Eh, very little in the first volume, but it was crucial to me.

      Basically, in the first volume, there is no heroine. Even by the end, the girl that appears has just mellowed down due to scolding and punishment from the king, and feels only terror and apprehension towards the protagonist.

      Their relationship develops a lot later, when she sheepishly tails him in the Imperial Capital by order of the king. He first gets her guard down by offering to teach her modern magic, and their relationship develops from there. She starts off sort of sheepish, and sensitive towards him, but it’s a charming and humorous relationship, and it feels more natural that way.

      In the light novel, they apparently felt that it made no sense to have no heroine for the first volume, so they change tiny bits here and there, and there’s a line near the end that says she’s fallen for him.

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  26. LMS we toon is garbage
    Coiling dragon changes the gender of a main character, also garbage
    Kill no more seemed like a decent webtoon(or manga-I forget which) but the LN IS FAR BETTER
    Very few works are done well in all versions

    It is like watching the movie version of your favorite story, except they take more liberties with the material. Rather than educating these people I suggest having them jump ship and start reading WN’s. Not all are bad, besides… If they are dying of an incurable disease (like impatience) and don’t mind spoiling a great story then WN’s might be a great alternative for them.

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  27. I try to not comment anything in your blog and most of all your rants since your a very narcissistic person and anything I disagree with you would make you a whiny little baby but for this situation it calls for it. Guro was translating slime first hour by hour day by day, and someone randomly shows up to translate the LN which is different but it’s pretty much the same why? Same story plot, same characters, same title, and same setting. That’s pretty much the definition of the human race we look different but we all bleed red. Be fair and understandble if the LN version starts getting translated now Guro will lose new readers and readers reading now since you all keep slandering the Web version novel when he’s just translating out of his good will. Stop being bullies against his work and the Wn version, let him keep his work. Why not translate the LN version when Guro finishes the WN version so it doesn’t ruin his credibility? Don’t be btch.

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    1. 1) The web novel is fantastic, and I spent a week reading it to the end.
      2) “Same story plot, same characters, same title, and same setting. ”
      Not necessarily true. You’re obviously a retard that hasn’t read a single thing, but LN can sometimes be completely different to the WN in characters AND plot.

      Honestly, everyone around here is talking about how there was no Albedo in Overlord WN. There was never the whole drama with Brain Unglaus either, since he just got straight-up turned into a vampire servant. Lots of things were changed, both ‘characters’ and ‘plot’, so uh… please don’t comment on my blog again, retard.

      Idiots who have holes for eyes and shit for brains aren’t welcome here.

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    3. Um, we actually started translating before them you know.
      Guro’s brother said himself that they picked it up because they read the LN version we were translating…

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    6. The person in question is here!
      I first read the Light novel then web novel from Henouji and Wuxia then i try translating the WN myself after I read them at Henouji and Wuxia.

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    9. Robot, Guro himself posted below. Even the person you “support” is against your stand, you’re way out on your own for this one. In fact he specifically stated that because of the LN translation that he started on the WN one, so instead of “taking readers away”, the LN translation was the reason for Guro’s translation to exist in the first place.

      Check first before shooting. There is no such thing as “friendly fire” and if you get pounded by your “own side” because you didn’t check, well, you fired first, you deserve it.

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  29. Web novels are still influenced by money grubbing editors though, as shown by the removal of Kuro no Shoukan Samurai which was being translated by Infinite Novel Translations.
    And I don’t understand how people don’t know that moonbunnycafe is translating the LN? I mean, they even put the words “light novel” in the TOC page of it.

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  30. i think someone should make a leecher etiquette guide so that people ask kindly why or what the difference before they ridicule the translator saying that its already been translated

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  31. Part of the problem is people don’t understand how god-awful web novels can be before editing, because even if the story is untouched, the translators often do a lot of editing just to make the damn thing readable. So in japan, the LN version is hugely superior, but in translation, the differences are mostly in plot details.

    That said, a good LN version will fix /reams/ of problems. Pacing, fresher dialogue, more presence and development for supporting characters, and if we’re lucky, just straight-up excising some of the dumber ideas and tedious explanations of shit no one could possibly care about.

    Of course, some turds just can’t be polished.

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  32. Pingback: Announcement 13/8/15 and about Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken LIGHT NOVEL - Avert Translations~Avert Translations~

    1. I tried once. I’m not good with languages, but I wanted to learn. I had gotten a manga I liked (which was in japanese) from the library, and a japanese-english “dictionary” (more of a reference book?). After about 5 hours working on the first line, I gained a new respect for translators. They do hard work, especially with japanese and chinese, where (as far as I can tell) words and letters can be squashed together to mean different things. Two words can be combined together, and it is hard to recognize because one of them was turned on it’s side in the process?
      I don’t know if it is easier for translators who are native korean/japanese/chinese speakers to learn english, but learning any new language is HARD.

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  34. I figured out the difference between LN’s and WN’s when I was reading Mushoku Tensei. Both the LN and WN have their pros and cons, but personally I prefer to read the WN.

    My main reason is that the authors aren’t restricted when writing web novels, they can write what they want. They can give the protagonist an actual romance or harem instead of several love interests that won’t get anywhere until the end or put as many gruesome scenes as they want without toning anything down.

    In light novels they tone down certain stuff or change some scenes to appeal to more people which can get annoying. There’s also the actual book. Since authors have to write a proper beginning, middle, and end for one novel it can feel constricted, whereas in web novels they can make arcs as long or as short as they need to instead of trying to fit it between 200-300 pages.

    I’m not dissing light novels in any way, in fact I’m glad that the authors write both a web novel and a light novel. Though for me the only upside to light novels is the illustrations, and the possible anime adaptation.

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